The Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) reports that travel decreases caused by the COVID-19 state of emergency are reversing now that restrictions have been lifted and there is widespread access to vaccinations.
More than 90 percent of Maryland residents limited their travel during the state of the emergency, and statewide highway travel dropped by 50 percent at the height of the pandemic.
“Marylanders are getting back to business and back to their lives with growing confidence,” MDOT Secretary Greg Slater said. “The numbers we’re seeing around the state reflects the strong desire of travelers to work, play and experience everything Maryland has to offer – and it also shows the demand for reliable, safe, and healthy transportation options.”
Total vehicular traffic on roadways surpassed 2019 levels during the first week of July by 0.4 percent. Toll facilities also exceeded 2019 customer volumes.
BWI Marshall Airport screened 28,655 departing passengers on July 2, the largest amount since the start of the pandemic.
In May, general cargo figures eclipsed pre-pandemic numbers at the Port of Baltimore.
The Motor Vehicle Administration completed 2.7 million transactions across all platforms from March through June.
Transit agencies are expected to take longer to recover to pre-pandemic levels, with all forms of transit seeing significantly lower ridership than July 2019.